Hi Bob. I'm glad you are enjoying the collection. They asre being collected
for the younger members of our extended family who are not privileged to an
oral tradition. Their loss I fear. Regards Arthur.
----- Original Message -----
From: "Bob Cooper" <[log in to unmask]>
To: <[log in to unmask]>
Sent: Saturday, November 06, 2004 12:33 AM
Subject: Re: New Sub: Tales at my Mother's knee No.4
> Hi Arthur,
> I'm not sure about the last couplet...
> It might be that the whole collection of pieces has to be complete before
a
> decision can be made about how much more than the actual stories is
needed!
> But I sense, with those I've read, I'd like the stories to stand on their
> own.
> Bob
>
> >From: Arthur Seeley <[log in to unmask]>
> >Reply-To: The Pennine Poetry Works <[log in to unmask]>
> >To: [log in to unmask]
> >Subject: New Sub: Tales at my Mother's knee No.4
> >Date: Tue, 26 Oct 2004 17:39:45 +0100
> >
> >Tales at my Mother's knee, No 4: Undefeated Jerry.
> >
> >
> >
> >
> >
> >Yer Great Granddad Thomas, now,
> >
> >he had some tea rooms up at Mount Pleasant
> >
> >just above Ogden Water,
> >
> >with tables outside and seats and swings and things.
> >
> >Donkeys and all, four or five of them, as I recall
> >
> >but I wur only a lass an' it wur a long while since
> >
> >so I'm not so certain just how many there wuh
> >
> >but yuh couldna count Jerry, anyroad
> >
> >because no one rode Jerry except yur Uncle Rufus.
> >
> >
> >
> >Jerry wuh special, yuh see!
> >
> >
> >
> >Undefeated Jerry! That's what they called him, yuh know.
> >
> >Undefeated Jerry! Fastest donkey in West Yorkshire an' all,
> >
> >and that's got to be t'fastest in t'world, 'an't it?
> >
> >
> >
> >Harden, Wilsden, Bingley Fair and Keighley Gala,
> >
> >Bradford and Elland,
> >
> >they all had races there
> >
> >and he won 'em all.
> >
> >He never looked pleased nor nowt,
> >
> >no, nor proud even.
> >
> >Donkeys don't look owt but miserable.
> >
> >I've never seen one that looked owt but miserable,
> >
> >as though it wuh summat they knew that we didn't
> >
> >and it wuh summat that med 'em sad.
> >
> >
> >
> >I have his picture up there, see.
> >
> >That's yuh granddad there holding Jerry's head;
> >
> >he's got his best bowler on, though he called it his derby,
> >
> >when they wuh racin' like,
> >
> >and a carnation,special for t' picture
> >
> >See how smart he wuh when he wuh sober.
> >
> >That's your Uncle Rufus
> >
> >sat in t'cart with his best cap on.
> >
> >Yur Uncle Rufus med that cart hissen, do yuh know.
> >
> >Clever wi' his hands wuh Rufus
> >
> >he's only young there
> >
> >but he could mek owt outta wood.
> >
> >
> >
> >Yuh can see all t' prizes Jerry won
> >
> >on that board Rufus is holding.
> >
> >All First Prizes, do yuh see?
> >
> >Look, he doesn't even look happy for his picture does he?
> >
> >
> >
> >Gow! He wur a champion though,
> >
> >wuh Jerry, fast as some 'osses, they reckon,
> >
> >pulling yur Uncle Rufus along
> >
> >in that painted cart.
> >
> >
> >
> >They bowt him in Oxenhope, I heard tell,
> >
> >and brung him home over t'top to Mount Pleasant
> >
> >and put him in t' shed outside,
> >
> >on a chain for t'first night.
> >
> >When they came down in t'morning
> >
> >he'd nearly bitten through t'beam they'd tied him to.
> >
> >Home sick, I suppose, that's what they reckund anyroad.
> >
> >
> >
> >Burree soon settled in
> >
> >when he met a jenny called Bertha,
> >
> >that lived at t' tea-rooms,
> >
> >though she kicked up a bit.
> >
> >Love at first bite, thi Grandad allus said.
> >
> >
> >
> >When Jerry died,
> >
> >thi granddad wouldn't sell him fuh glue, yuh know,
> >
> >not like he did with t'others
> >
> >he had too much respect for Jerry, yuh see.
> >
> >He wuh buried proper like
> >
> >at t'back of t'tearooms,
> >
> >by t'side of that gurt sycamore there.
> >
> >Yuh can still see t' mound
> >
> >although them that has t' rooms now
> >
> >don't know whose under there.
> >
> >
> >
> >Bah Gum, Undefeated Jerry,
> >
> >he wuh a donkey and half, you know.
> >
> >
> >
> >Nathen, finish your cocoa
> >
> >and off to bed like good lads.
>
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